Coca-Cola will enter Formula One as a sponsor of the Lotus team using its burn energy drink.

Rumours throughout the season were linking Coca-Cola with a title sponsorship of McLaren as Vodafone was reportedly considering pulling out of the sport. However, Coca-Cola wants to promote its energy drink through the sport, putting it in direct competition with Red Bull and Lucozade - carried by McLaren - and as a result it has gone in to partnership with Lotus to give itself a presence in the sport from 2013.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier said that he was "proud" the team had been able to attract such a large brand.

"We are proud that The Coca-Cola Company has chosen Lotus F1 Team as the best vehicle to represent the burn brand in its most high profile partnership," Boullier said. "We are excited to partner with burn to build a new and innovative model for sponsorships that will combine experiences, content creation and social media ; an area in which our team has been at the cutting edge in Formula 1 for the past 18 months, recording the highest growth rate amongst fans this year."

Group director of worldwide sports and entertainment marketing at Coca-Cola, Emmanuel Seuge said that burn intends to "break the conventions of traditional Formula 1 sponsorship":

"The creativity of teams and the passion for speed and energy that fuel the sport of Formula 1, make a partnership with this iconic sporting property a compelling proposition for the burn brand," Seuge said. "Lotus F1 Team, as the number one emerging challenger in the sport, has demonstrated exceptional creativity in their approach to Formula 1 racing and their collaborations with partners - an approach that mirrors the philosophy of burn. We will bring that same creativity through burn, incorporating art and music in a way that will break the conventions of traditional Formula 1 sponsorship marketing."